Moving to Illinois from Rhode Island

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Rhode Island to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Rhode Island to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 5.8% cheaper than Rhode Island. A $75,000 salary in Rhode Island would need to be roughly $60,252 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Rhode Island and Illinois.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $60,252

To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 14.9% less

Groceries

pay 20.3% less

Transportation

pay 11.3% less

Housing

pay 20.2% less

Childcare

pay 4.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 8.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Illinois compared to Rhode Island.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

RI
165
IL
306
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

RI
1102
IL
1697

Rhode Island performs better than Illinois across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

RI
4.2%
IL
6.8%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

RI
31.6%
IL
34.6%

Rhode Island performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

RI
$368,800
IL
$250,500
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

RI
$1,273
IL
$1,227

Illinois performs significantly better than Rhode Island across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

RI
90.8%
IL
89.6%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

RI
26 min
IL
28 min

Rhode Island performs better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

RI
4.4%
IL
4.8%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

RI
$56,938
IL
$70,691

Rhode Island generally does better on employment & economy, though Illinois leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

RI
78.2 yrs
IL
76.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

RI
26%
IL
26%

Rhode Island performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Providence Rain: 47.2 in/yr (1198 mm)
61° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Springfield Rain: 37.4 in/yr (951 mm)
63° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Providence Springfield
Jan–Mar 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) 74°/52°F (23°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) 83°/61°F (29°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) 52°/33°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
Month Providence Springfield
Jan 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C)
Feb 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C)
Mar 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C)
Apr 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C)
May 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C)
Jul 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C)
Aug 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C)
Sep 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C)
Oct 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C)
Nov 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C)
Dec 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.2°C) 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Rhode Island?

On average Illinois is about 20% less expensive than Rhode Island, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Illinois?

Budget about $15,063 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Illinois safe?

Rhode Island performs better than Illinois across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Rhode Island?

Rhode Island performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Rhode Island?

The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 61°F in Providence. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Providence gets 47.2 in.

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